About The Old Compass Cafe and Bar
We opened The Old Compass Cafe to be a little refuge in the heart of Saigon offering good simple local food, coffee, wine and local hospitality. The Old Compass is a place for locals, expats and visitors to hang out, read, catch up with friends over a glass of wine and tasty local food - or get some work done.
We also needed a base for our author's talks and events about history, art and contemporary issues.
We’ve had some superb evenings with authors and historians - including Bill Hayton (Vietnam Rising Dragon and The South China Sea - The struggle for power in Asia), Denise Chong (The Girl in the Picture), Larry Berman (Perfect Spy - The incredible double life of Pham Xuan An), Nguyen Qui Duc (Where the Ashes Are), Jim Laurie, Andrew Lam and others.
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The Saigon home of Rusty Compass and Old Compass Travel in Saigon
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The Old Compass Cafe is the Saigon home of the independent travel guide to Vietnam, Rusty Compass.
We also operate history tours and unique experiences in Saigon. Check these out here.
See you soon.
From the Press
1
Asia Life Magazine
Tucked away on the third floor of a 1960’s apartment block, down a hem on Pasteur, between Le Loi and Le Thanh Ton, this boutique café offers a hard-to-find respite from the traffic outside, whilst harnessing the energetic, artistic creativity of its many patrons. Light and airy during the day, the décor blends modern and vintage with reclaimed tiled and wooden floors, white walls, comfortable seating and large, architectural plants.
2
theculturaltrip.com
Don’t let its name fool you. By night, the Old Compass Cafe is a wonderfully dark drinking hole situated on the third floor of a 1960s apartment building. The decor is tough to pin down to one particular style, but it feels homely, welcoming and reliable as if wherever you sit feels intimate. It has a small selection of wines and craft beer imported from Pasteur Street Brewing. With plenty of events including regular talks and live music on weekends, the Old Compass Cafe is the kind of place where you could come in skeptical and get won over.
